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IAEA Chief says important lessons learned from Fukushima

Wednesday, May 14, 2014

Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency says an independent and robust regulatory body a must for today's nuclear power plants.

ANKARA - Yukiya Amano, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, has expressed that an "independent and robust nuclear regulatory body for nuclear power plants is one of the most important lessons that we have learned from the Fukushima accident in Japan."

Amano at joint press conference with Turkey’s Energy Minister Taner Yildiz in Turkey's capital, Ankara, said that Fukushima was an accident resulting from human errors in the aftermath of a powerful tsunami and earthquake.

"Nuclear safety has been much strengthened after the Fukushima accident," he added, noting that "additional mobile diesel generators and additional water cooling systems are introduced in many nuclear power plants. Emergency tools are positioned near operation rooms. Many nuclear power plants are water tight facilities in case of emergencies.”

The agency works closely with Turkey on important projects Amano said, praising the country for being a leader in the international nuclear program.

The meeting with Yildiz centered on the steps Turkey is taking in nuclear projects in Akkuyu in the south of the country and in the northern province of Sinop.

Responding to a question about the safety of Metsamor, a nuclear power plant in Armenia, Amano said "it’s the responsibility of each state to be sure that its nuclear is safe...Some improvement has been made in Metsamor but more needs to be done."